Melatonin is a hormone of the pineal gland that contributes to the regulation of physiological activities, such as sleep, circadian rhythm, and neuroendocrine processes. Melatonin is found in several plants and has pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective. It also has shown therapeutic efficacy in treatment of cancer and diabetes. Melatonin affects several molecular pathways to exert its protective effects. The NLRP3 inflammasome is considered a novel target of melatonin. This inflammasome contributes to enhanced level of IL-1β, caspase-1 activation, and pyroptosis stimulation. The function of NLRP3 inflammasome has been explored in various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders. By inhibiting NLRP3, melatonin diminishes inflammation and influences various molecular pathways, such as SIRT1, microRNA, long non-coding RNA, and Wnt/β-catenin. Here, we discuss these molecular pathways and suggest that melatonin-induced inhibition of NLRP3 should be advanced in disease therapy

褪黑激素是松果体的一种激素，有助于调节生理活动，如睡眠、昼夜节律和神经内分泌过程。褪黑激素存在于多种植物中，具有药理活性，包括抗氧化、抗炎、保肝、保护心脏和神经保护。它还显示出治疗癌症和糖尿病的疗效。褪黑激素影响几种分子途径以发挥其保护作用。NLRP3 炎症小体被认为是褪黑激素的新靶点。这种炎症小体有助于提高 IL-1β、caspase-1 激活和细胞焦亡刺激水平。NLRP3 炎症小体的功能已在各种疾病中得到探索，包括癌症、糖尿病和神经系统疾病。通过抑制 NLRP3，褪黑激素可减轻炎症并影响各种分子途径，例如 SIRT1、microRNA、长链非编码 RNA 和 Wnt/β-catenin。在这里，我们讨论了这些分子途径，并建议在疾病治疗中应推进褪黑激素诱导的 NLRP3 抑制